Not Without You By My Side
by StatsGrandma57
Summary: Leia returns after a diplomatic mission and that's when the trouble begins. Once again, thanks to 2Old4This, who's been so much help! Chapter 9 concludes this story :)
1. Chapter 1

NOT WITHOUT YOU BY MY SIDE

The transport ship entered the atmosphere of Coruscant and proceeded towards its landing pad.

Leia sighed with relief. The transport she'd been on was luxurious by Alliance standards, but nothing would feel better than walking to the pickup area and seeing Han, Jaina, Jacen, and Anakin all waiting for her in the speeder.

At least the unrest had been quelled and military muscle had not been required, for which she was extremely grateful. All parties had been open to talking and negotiating with each other, and that was a rarity.

Coruscant was in the midst of its summer heat, but at least it was dry heat. The planet she'd just been on had a tropical rain forest climate. The humidity had been stultifying. And the insects, large and small, reminded Leia that she really didn't like bugs very much. She and her delegation took precautions, but apparently one had gotten through to her. It was a small bite, but it itched furiously. She'd put some bacta on it when she arrived home, she told herself, hoping that the maddening itch would cease. She wasn't sure how she'd gotten it; it hadn't been there when she'd woken up, but the last two hours had been maddening. She'd tried to be discreet, what with her skirt ankle length, but it was getting harder to hide it.

Han was there with the kids, and Leia momentarily forgot the angry itch on her leg. The kids showered her with kisses and hugs, and Han gave her a kiss that was close to publicly unacceptable. There'd been a time when Leia might have worried about it, but that seemed to be several lifetimes ago.

"I missed you, Mommy!" Three and a half year old Anakin said sweetly.

"We missed you, too!" Jacen spoke for both himself and his sister.

"I missed all of you so much," Leia said happily.

"Can we stop for ice dots?" Jacen pleaded.

"Let's get your mom home first, and maybe later we can get some," Han told him.

"But I'm hungry!" Jacen protested.

"Dinner'll be ready pretty soon," Han told his older son. "And your mom needs to relax. She's been real busy."

"Besides, Daddy made traladon stew," Jaina informed her. Leia loved Han's trademark traladon stew; it reminded her of comfort food from Alderaan. The twins loved it. Anakin, on the other hand, would only eat pasta. He was averse to nearly everything else. He'd drink milk and eat a couple fruits, but that encompassed his entire diet. Their pediatrician droid assured Han and Leia that he'd be fine, that children frequently showed this kind of fussiness, but Anakin's parents still worried that he'd never keep a girl's interest once his food preferences were known to her.

The traffic was, as usual, thick on Coruscant. It was the end of the workday for many, and they poured into monorails, hover taxis and limos, and speeders. Leia leaned over several times to scratch her leg.

"You okay?" Han asked her.

"It's fine. Probably a bug bite."

"Gotta be careful with those," Han told her. "Some of those critters are nasty."

"We all used repellant and our rooms were treated," Leia let him know. "And I didn't see any in my room. I'll put some bacta on it and that should take care of it once and for all. And I'm looking forward to eating the stew. It's going to be delicious after what passed for food on this trip."

"Mommy, are you gonna stay home tomorrow?" Jaina asked her mother.

"I have to go in for part of the day, but after that, I'll be home and we can have fun," Leia promised her.

"Are you gonna read 'Little Lost Bantha Cub'?" Anakin asked plaintively.

"Of course," Leia assured him. "At bedtime."

"Can we stay up late?" Jaina pleaded.

Leia looked at Han, then back at the children. "We'll see."

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Threepio greeted the family as the entered the apartment. "Mistress Leia, it's so good to see you!" He said cheerfully.

"Thank you, Threepio. I hope all has been well," she said to him.

"Oh, it certainly has!" He turned to Han. "Captain, if you'll not be needing me, I believe I will take my leave for the evening."

"You're leaving?" Leia asked, surprised.

"I'll be back later, of course," Threepio promised.

.

Leia was about to ask him where he was going, but stopped. How many places could a droid go, anyway? "Have a nice evening."

"Thank you, Mistress Leia. Captain, do you need anything done before I leave?"

"We've got it covered. Thanks."

Han and Leia looked at one another as if to say, is it possible that Threepio has actual circuits that allow...emotions?

Han spoke first. "Whatever it is, it's probably on a need to know basis and I don't need to know."

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Dinner, baths and bedtime stories completed, children hugged and kissed and tucked into bed, and Leia was herself ready to hit the pillows, but the temptations of her very sexy and handsome husband were too much too resist.

Once she and Han were basking in the afterglow, she was, despite two applications each of bacta and a cream specifically designated for treating itching, the bite on her leg was annoying her more than ever.

"This bite is making me crazy," Leia said, trying not to sound as if she were complaining.

"I might have some Zoprex. It'll at least let you get some sleep," Han offered. He kept two small supplies; one on the ship and one at home. Han looked at the lower part of her shin. "You gotta stop scratching that thing. It's getting bigger."

"I know, I know. I've just never had a bite as annoying as this one."

Han went to the kitchen for some water and then to the 'fresher for the medicine. Leia was small and he figured that one tablet would be more than enough. He'd taken two on rare occasions and they kicked his butt for a day afterwards.

"Here you go, Princess," Han said to her. She gulped down the tablet and water and the two curled up again in bed, Han spooning her, his arm draped lazily over her stomach, until they were fast asleep.

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The chrono, of course, blared much too soon for either Han or Leia's tastes, but there were kids to get ready for day camp and work that needed doing. There were swimsuits, towels, and sunscreen that had to be packed for each child, lunches to be made, showers to take and hair to arrange. Inevitably, no one could find his or her shoes or the shirt they wanted to wear under their camp shirts, giving the name of their group and the first name of each child. The shirts were huge, which was why the kids wanted their own shirts underneath. Neither Leia nor Han saw the logic of their decision but figured it wasn't worth wasting any breath on.

Leia got up slowly; the effects of the Zoprex had hit her hard, and she knew from experience to rise slowly, first to a sitting position, then standing up. Han was out in the kitchen feeding the kids their cereal and milk and she could smell kaf brewing. She was going to need a lot of kaf in order to wade through the small mountain of reports she needed to file.

She'd noticed the itching had stopped. Once the Zoprex wore off, that might change. She hoped not. As she shed her shorts and T shirt and stepped into the shower, she noticed how red it looked. Well, she had scratched it a lot. She'd put bacta over it again when she was done showering.

Leia intended it to be strictly a 'recording day.' Her plan was to take the kids to day camp, lock herself in her office, and pick the kids back up as soon as possible. Any crisis would just have to wait.

As a touch of irony, she decided to wear a T shirt Han had given her last Winter Fete. It read, 'Let Me Drop Everything and Work on YOUR problem.' She laid it on the bed as she headed for the water shower.


	2. Chapter 2

NOT WITHOUT YOU BY MY SIDE

Chapter 2

Leia had gotten to the office during the time Mon Mothma, General Rieekan, and Admiral Ackbar were leaving. General Rieekan wished to retire and they were setting up criteria for a new Commander General.

Now there's a job Han would hate, Leia thought with some amusement. He did take a commission at the end of the Galactic Civil War, but retired from it shortly after their honeymoon. Han hated politics, saying he preferred to leave it to the professionals. Han was a civilian instructor for pilot recruits part time, and the rest of the time he and Chewie had turned Less Than Twelve Parsecs Intragalactic Shipping into a very lucrative venture. It was perfect for him, Leia had thought, because answering to anyone but himself, at least in business terms, was something he'd be unwilling to tolerate. Han had been poor most of his life and could make a credit stretch till it screamed for mercy, and he was an astute businessman. His and Leia's only complaint was that they were away from each other and the kids more than all of them [than they] would like. Leia was doing more comm meetings these days but sometimes, face to face was the only way.

As she was working on her last report, she noticed that her ankle and lower leg began to feel as if they were burning. She looked at it; it was a deeper and more furious red than it had been when she'd left for work.

I really should have tried harder not to scratch it, she scolded herself. The kids still had swimming lessons and free splash after that. She could go home and put some ice on it. Once she hit 'submit,' she gathered her purse and work bag and proceeded to head out via the service exit. It was her way of getting out without being seen by anyone but the delivery droids and sentients and they honored her wish for privacy. Leia actually treated them as if they were important. Her parents had always told her that servants' work was as dignified and important as those who had more options open to them.

As she made her way into the street, Leia felt a sharp pain radiating from the site of injury. Every time she set her weight on the leg, it would become worse. Living only two bridges away, she'd eschewed a diplomatic limo, and rarely took a hover cab, but today, she decided to take one. Fortunately, it was a little past the lunch hour, and most of the capital's residents had headed back to their offices, so they weren't all full.

Leia gave the driver her address and settled back into the seat. The driver didn't recognize her, and she was fine with that. She'd been trying to lower her profile. Mon Mothma had told Leia that she hoped she'd run for Prime Minister when the time came.

Over my dead body, Leia told herself.

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By the time she'd reached the apartment, Leia was exhausted. She thanked whatever deities had seen fit to leave an ice pack in the freezer.

The cooling sensation was welcome, and she fell back on to the sofa, feeling utterly drained. I need to stop traveling so much, she told herself. I'm a young woman and I'm not feeling a day over one hundred.

A few minutes later, she'd fallen asleep.

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Han was looking forward to having fun with the kids and was especially happy that Leia was home. She'd text comm'd him earlier, saying she was leaving work and was going to get the kids not long after.

He was surprised when he entered to find Leia conked out on the sofa. There was an ice pack lying on the floor next to her.

Her comm went off, and Han looked to see who was coming in. It was the day camp the kids attended.

"Solo," he answered.

"Captain Solo, we're nearly ready to close and your children are still here. I'm surprised, seeing as she as planning to pick them up early today. I know that she does run into emergencies - "

"I'll come for them. I'll be there in five minutes."

With that, Han shot out the door.

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"Daddy, where's Mommy?" Anakin asked plaintively as Han piled them into the speeder.

"She's just very tired, buddy," Han told her as he strapped the three kids in.

"I thought she was gonna get us early," Jacen sulked.

"Yeah, she lied!" Jaina said accusingly.

"Your mom doesn't lie," Han told her severely. "She's very tired and she fell asleep. She didn't mean to do it."

Once the speeder started, they stopped their complaining and began arguing with each other. Han shook his head, but had to smile. They were great kids, really.

His concern for Leia, however, was growing. It wasn't like Leia to forget to pick up the kids. On the rare occasions she did nap, she never slept more than thirty minutes.

And the bug bite disturbed him as well. Some of the insects on various worlds were highly poisonous. He hoped that she'd be awake and feeling better once he and the little ones were home.

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"Mommy Mommy Mommy!" Three little voices cried out as they climbed up on Leia, kissing her and giving her hugs.

"Careful, honey, Mommy's leg - " Leia hissed.

"Mommy, how come your foot's so big?" Jacen asked her.

"What?" Leia seemed to be awake but not alert.

"Daddy, Mommy's foot's all big!" Jaina pointed out.

Han was on his comm to Chewie to instruct him to come up. Threepio had indicated that he had some errands to run but would be back before dinner.

Leia was moaning and seemed a bit confused. "Han?"

Han noticed that her one leg was roughly three times the size it normally was. Her pant leg was straining the stretchy fabric, and when he attempted to roll it up, her skin looked as if it had been burnt badly. Han had seen such burns; not surprisingly, it felt as if it were on fire. He moved up to her head and touched his hand to her cheek.

"Han?"

"You're sick, sweetheart. We need help." He comm'd 999, the galactic emergency standard.

"Kids," she murmured.

"Chewie'll be here in a minute, Threepio's back any time," Han assured her. "The kids are fine."

Chewie let himself in. He took one look at Leia and spoke softly to her in Shryiiwook, then headed over to the kids, picking each one up, making them laugh and smile. A few moments later, Threepio appeared, two bags of groceries in hand. He immediately noticed Leia and how she looked.

"Mistress Leia, oh dear no!"

"Ambucraft on its way," Han assured him. "Please help Chewie take care of the kids."

"Of course, Captain," Threepio said. "Should I start some dinner?"

"Only if anyone wants their food to be edible." Chewie was patient and caring and loving towards the children, but he wasn't too much for cooked food. Milk and cereal was about all that Leia and Han trusted him to prepare. Threepio was unimaginative in the kitchen, but he would make sure that the food was nutritious, suitable for a child's palate, and most importantly, cooked.

The eight bell chime rang out. "Get that, Threepio."

"Of course," Threepio said, confirming over the intercom that in fact it was the ambucraft crew. He admitted them to the apartment.

"Let me talk to our kids," Han said to the med droid in charge. He headed for the bedroom, where Chewie had taken them.

"Where's Mommy?" Jaina demanded. "Is she sick?" Her voice was worried, her expression grave.

"Mommy is sick," Han explained to all of them, very quietly. "But she's going to the medicenter and they're gonna take good care of her."

"She's not gonna die, is she, Daddy?" Jacen said. Han's heart sank. He felt the tears rise in his eyes.

"I'm going to the medicenter with her and make sure she gets the best care," Han assured them. "Threepio's making you dinner and Uncle Chewie'll take good care of you." He gathered all of them in his arms, holding them tight, and not letting any of his fear seep out. He hoped that their Force sensitivity would not allow them to see what was going through his mind at that moment, because he wasn't too comfortable with it himself.

"I don't want you to go!" Anakin protested.

"I have to, buddy," Han told him. "I'll call you in a little while, but Mommy needs for us to be brave. Can you guys do that?"

All three nodded solemnly. Han kissed each child.

"I love you guys," Han told them as he exited the room. Leia was now hooked up to life support and being carried out of the door.

"Do get well quickly, Mistress Leia," Threepio said quietly as Han followed the litter out.

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Han stroked Leia's face and hair as the ambucraft raced towards the medicenter.

"Has she been traveling at all?" One of the nursing droids on board asked Han as the other raced through the skies like a murk rat out of hells.

"She travels all the time," Han responded. "She just got back yesterday from Phindar."

"I see," the droid responded as he gently worked with Leia. "Have you seen the news, sir?"

"Lessee, I've got two jobs, three kids, and a wife who travels. When the hells do I have time to watch the news?" Han snapped. He knew that he shouldn't be irritated with the droid; the droid was doing its job, and competently at that. But when fear took him, anger was his standard issue response.

"I beg your pardon, sir, but there is a bacterial infection traveling through the tropical worlds in that area. Phindar is one of those affected planets. At first it was affecting only certain segments of the population but it is starting to migrate into the human populations."

"Sounds like she could use a good dunk in the bacta tank," Han commented. Leia seemed to be drifting in and out of consciousness. "She's got a high fever."

"She has a dangerously high fever, sir. It is 41 degrees." The ambucraft glided into the medicenter gently.

Han knew what happened at 41 degrees. The brain began to cook itself.

Leia was unpacked into the medicenter and was promptly whisked away; the droids had informed infectious diseases that there was a potential case on the way and didn't want her to expose others or make her own condition worse. Han followed them but was stopped by a nurse droid.

"Sir, you'll have to wait in the family area," the female voice said quietly. "Let me show you to it."

"I need to know what's going on with my wife!" Han snapped at her.

"As her husband, you will be updated on her condition and will be notified when you can see her, but as you can see, she is very ill."

"Wow, all that medical training paid off, I see."

"I understand that you are upset," the droid responded. "This is normal."

There's nothing normal about this, Han said to himself.

There were several individuals in the infectious diseases waiting area. Some were watching holocartoons, some weeping into handkerchiefs, some stoically silent.

Han closed his eyes. What would happen if Leia could not be cured? They had three small children that needed both of them.

But the worst thought of all for him was that he'd been emotionally reliant upon her for so long. He couldn't imagine life without Leia. He began to think back, all the way back to their first meeting...

And realized there was no way he could live anything resembling a life without her.

.


	3. Chapter 3

1NOT WITHOUT YOU BY MY SIDE

Chapter 3

Luke and Mara had returned to their apartment in the Jedi temple. It had been a long day, and a frustrating one; for the third time in five months, one of the youngest padawans had to be sent home. He was too homesick to remain and after a discussion between them and the parents, they agreed that for now, it would be best for the little learner, aged four, to go home.

"I think when we get some of the older ones completely trained, we should start to train the learners on some of their homeworlds," Luke commented as he took a bottle of dry white wine from the chiller. In the evening, after everyone was in bed, they'd sit in the small living room and have a glass. It had become one of their most looked forward to rituals. Jedi law had no prohibitions on intoxicants save for chronically over imbibing. The only time Luke sometimes overdid it was when he and Han were watching sports together.

"I agree," Mara told him as he handed her the first glass he poured.

"I think some of my father's problems stemmed from him being taken from his mother way too early in life," Luke went on. "He stopped being a slave in fact and became a slave to the Dark Side, and I'm starting to wonder if Han and Leia have a point with their unwillingness to train up their kids. I mean, we're their family, but Han and Leia have told me a thousand times that they didn't have kids to ship them off."

"I'd like to have children as well," Mara said to him.

"I know. I'd like that, too, but I think we need to be in a better position to devote time to our own child." Luke poured a glass for himself and clinked with Mara's. "Cheers."

"Indeed." The two sat down together on the sofa, close enough to kiss easily. They were nearly the same height, which simplified such things.

Normally, the first few sips of wine made Luke feel very warm and gave his cheeks high color, and tonight was no exception. But then, the pleasant warmth was followed by a sharp spear of heat that flowed through Luke, followed by intense shivering.

"I felt it, too," Mara said. "Something's wrong."

Luke tried to concentrate on what was driving the heat and shivering.

Only one person made him feel that way.

"It's Leia," Luke told her.

"You need to comm Han," Mara said quietly.

Luke went over to the small table where his comm had landed after he last used it.

"I've got a bad feeling about this," Luke said to Mara as he punched in Han's code.

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Han was on his comm, talking first with Chewie, and then with the kids. Chewie always let the kids stay up late, let them eat sweets, and allowed too much holovision. It was no wonder the kids loved him.

"When can I see Mommy?" Jacen asked Han plaintively.

"I wanna see her, too," Jaina informed her father.

"Is she gonna die?" Anakin was near tears.

"Guys, Mommy is very sick. That means she needs her rest to get better. She's getting the best care. Everyone's working hard to get her well." He didn't want to lie to the kids, but he didn't want to unduly upset them, either.

It stabbed his heart looking at their young faces. What if Leia didn't get better? He'd have to...

No, Solo, stop it! he chastised himself.

Suddenly, Anakin's face brightened. "Uncle Luke's gonna come visit!"

"Yay!" Jacen shouted, although his relief was momentary.

"When's he gonna be here, Daddy?" Jaina asked him.

Han's comm indicated a visual incoming. "Hold on, kids, it's Uncle Luke." He switched over. "I'm talking to the kids. Can I get back to you?"

"I'll be done with the precheck in about twenty minutes, and after that, I'll see you in about nine hours."

"Lemme finish with the kids and I'll get back to you." He switched the comm back to his family. "You guys, I need you to be strong for Mommy. Can you do that?"

All three solemn little faces nodded affirmatively.

"I haven't been able to see her yet, but I will, and when I do, we'll talk again."

"Promise?" Anakin said, his eyes wet.

"Promise, buddy. Okay, I gotta comm Uncle Luke. I love you guys so much." They all blew kisses to each other. He then signaled Luke.

"Han old buddy. How's she doing?"

"I don't know right now. I haven't been told anything by anyone." Han felt his temper rising. "They're doing a gazillion tests on her."

Luke sensed the fear, the anguish his brother in law was feeling. It was perfectly normal for that to lead to anger in Han.

"I'll be off in a few. Contact me as soon as you find out anything." Luke sighed. "I've got a really bad feeling about this."

"You know, I didn't exactly need to hear that right now," Han snapped.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean - "

"I know, kid, I know. Drive fast."

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Han had no idea how much or how little time had passed. He'd opened his datapad to read his favorite smugglers' blogs. The ones he frequented were populated by former smugglers turned heroes of the Alliance. Respectability sometimes got to be too much, and they'd laugh it up, talk about pirates to avoid, the best and worst shipping routes. The chatter tended to start in the gutter and go down from there.

"Mr. Solo?"

The voice made Han nearly jump out of his skin.

"How is she?" Han demanded.

"Well, we are still running tests on her, sir. We have her in the bacta tank. In addition to the bacta, she is receiving intravenous anti microbials and anti inflammatories till we rule anything out."

"Is her fever down?" All Imperial Academy candidates had to take classes in medical emergencies, which Han had done about a thousand years ago.

"I am afraid not, sir. We are treating her as aggressively as we can without harming her at this time. Her white count is very, very high, and we will not be able to tell for some time what it is she has."

"Great," Han muttered. The droid was only doing its job, but Han had to restrain himself from punching the mechanical individual out.

"Sir, I do not wish to alarm you unduly, but you mentioned that she had traveled to Phindar recently. When did she return?"

"Day before yesterday," Han said gruffly.

"As I said, I don't wish to unduly cause worry - "

"Do you mind just saying what it is you're dancing around?" Han snapped.

"Of course, sir. On the tropical planets, a strain of bacteria has developed that is resistant to all but the most powerful strains of bacta, and there is very little of it in supply. The manufacturing company that makes it needs at least 48 hours to start the cell line, and even with that, the plant is on Tatooine, and that is a long distance to travel."

"You don't have to tell me that bacta's in short supply," Han snapped again. "I've been running that stuff for the past month." Bacta had fallen into short supply; the manufacturing process took time, and the best strains were found out on the dry, hot, inhospitable planet of Tatooine.

"Were you...never mind," the droid said. "We are sequencing the genome of the invading infection, but we don't have it ready yet. We are working as fast as we can with the tools at hand."

"Work faster!"

"Sir, I know this is none of my business, but I know that there are smuggling operations that are making hideous profits from the drug. If you are able to find some -"

Han's brain suddenly went into overdrive. "I know what you're saying. Come back when you have some real news to tell me."

"Very well, sir. You might try to get some rest in the meantime."

Han really needed a good fistfight at that point. Leia would disagree, but a decent fistfight could be remarkably therapeutic.

Instead, he logged on to the datapad and went to work.

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	4. Chapter 4

NOT WITHOUT YOU BY MY SIDE

Chapter 4

"Han." The voice was uncommonly quiet but familiar.

Han looked up from the sofa where he'd been viewing the smugglers' blogs and backchanneling some of them.

"I was on Bespin, got here as fast as I could," Lando explained. The world he'd abandoned was the one he'd returned to. What he was running there, Han wasn't sure, but Lando always had some scheme operating. But what mattered most to Han was that his old friend had come to be with him. That moved him. Not that he'd ever admit it to Lando. There was no need to.

"Thanks for coming, pal," Han said, sincerely, as Lando grabbed him in a bear hug.

"Don't even worry about that. How's Leia?"

Han's expression was grim. "No change. Listen, I can't go far, but can we talk somewhere private? There's a quiet room down the way. That's where they take you when the news is really bad."

"They take you there yet?" Lando asked.

"Not yet. But she's not having a good response to the bacta they have, and there's a strain of it that could help her."

"Why aren't they using it?"

"Supply problems, from the sound of it." Han sighed and shook his head.

"There's gotta be some out there," Lando said, shaking his head. "You keep any of your old contacts?"

"Yeah, was just on the smugglers' blogs, lurking to see if anyone popped in that I know of. The problem with calling 'em smugglers' blogs is that most of us are legit. Sometimes we get kind of depressed about it."

"You'd think with Leia's influence -"

"Don't go there," Han warned him. "Leia's political currency isn't making stronger bacta magically appear, and she might be appalled if she knew I was looking to make a deal to get some."

"So don't make the deal. I'll do it," Lando offered. "And I'll pay." Lando retained a great deal of guilt over Han's carbon freezing so many years back. Now was a chance for him to absolve himself.

"You don't have to do that," Han told him. "You paid in full a long time ago."

"I want to do it. Leia's the best thing that ever happened to you, man. She's done good by a lot of people."

"So why the shortage?" Han asked him. "You know something I don't?"

"I heard the Hutts took over the two companies that make it," Lando explained. "Rumor has it that Black Sun wants to get their fingers into the bacta pie. Can't confirm that, but the Hutts aren't trying to hide it."

Han groaned. An unpleasant knot was forming in his stomach. There was no way in a hundred hells he could make a deal with the Hutts. Worse, Leia had killed Jabba, and the Hutts had long memories. If anything, they'd withhold it just to see her die.

There was a knock at the door. Lando asked who was there, and let Luke into the room.

"Han, how's Leia?" Luke asked him. There was something frantic about him that he hadn't demonstrated in a very long time.

"No change," Han said quietly.

"I was afraid of that," Luke said, his voice soft. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

Lando spoke before Han. "Here it is: we've gotta get some of the more powerful bacta to Leia. Unfortunately, the Hutts are controlling the supply."

"Wonderful," Luke remarked bitterly. "That leaves negotiating out."

"Maybe not," Lando said. "If anyplace has a stash, it's here on Coruscant."

"The medicenters don't seem to have it," Han said to Luke. "Trust me, they've called everyone."

Luke sized up his brother in law. Han looked as if he'd aged a decade in a little over forty-eight hours. Stubble had taken over his face, and his normally lively eyes were dull and dark ringed. He clearly hadn't slept since Leia had taken ill. Han's spirits weren't easily dampened, but the very real potential loss of his wife, his lover, his best friend and the mother of his children was taking its toll. Han didn't give in to hopelessness often, but if he ever had cause to, it was now.

"Someone's got that stuff," Lando said. "Han, any responses from old friends?"

Han looked numb. "Not yet."

"Don't give up. Someone's gonna come through for you," Lando told him.

"It's not gonna be the Hutts. They'd let Leia die on general principle." Han's tone changed from weary to angry.

Lando studied his old friend. "Not sure I'd care to make a return trip to Tatooine. No offense intended," he said to Luke.

"None taken. You don't know how glad I was to get off that sandpile.'

There was a soft pinging noise. Han grabbed the datapad. "Wow. This here's a blast from the past."

"Anyone we know?" Luke asked his brother in law.

"Not likely, unless you've spent a lot of time on the lower levels," Han muttered.

"Ever worked with this guy?" Lando asked.

"Yeah. But not smuggling. You know of Nici the Specialist?" Han asked Lando.

"Isn't he the guy that made such good fake Id's that the Imps couldn't even tell 'em from the real thing?" Lando asked.

"One and the same," Han said. "I imagine business is still good, depending upon what you're looking for."

"So what's he saying?" Luke asked impatiently.

"Says he can set up a meeting tonight. I can't leave here, guys, and if you don't wanna do it, I understand -"

"We're going, whether you like it or not," Luke informed him.

"I'm just hoping that we don't have to come face to face with one of the Hutts," Lando commented. "Gods, those creatures smell awful."

"You do understand that going to Nici's means you get to walk through ankle deep slurry," Han warned them.

"How far down are we talking?" Lando asked.

"Level twenty-one."

Lando shuddered. "I never went below the five hundred and fiftieth, and that was nasty." But he held up his hands. "We're gonna go, of course!"

"Who's this 'we' you're talking about?" Luke asked quizzically, frowning slightly.

"Well, Han can't exactly leave Leia," Lando pointed out.

"I guess that leaves..." Luke looked very uncomfortable with this development.

"You're gonna have to get out of the Jedi rags," Lando said to him.

"I suggest both of you go looking disreputable," Han told the two. "Lando, you are disreputable, but try to look sleazier."

"I guess that leaves out the cape," Lando said, looking sad.

"You guys are gonna need a secondhand shop," Han told them.

"So where do we meet this Nici?" Luke asked.

"He runs a taverna called the Glow Spider. Dive bar. Really nasty dive bar," Han said as he grabbed his datapad. "I'm sending you the location. And don't take a hovercab. You're part of the great unwashed now. Use the lifts."

"Take good care of her," Luke whispered to Han.

Han found a touch of his humor for a moment and grinned. "Hey, it's me."

Luke and Lando shook their heads.

"You aren't gonna see your sister before we take off?" Lando asked him.

"Leia needs me to help find a way to save her, and right now, that means not being with her."

"Guess we'd better find some rotten clothes." Lando looked as if he was going to be sick.

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Han had asked to see Leia; he was told that she'd be in the bacta tank for at least two more hours. Her fever was still far too high but it was spiking less.

"We can maintain her but we will need the strain of bacta that will treat this particular strain of the bacteria Minister Organa-Solo has. Unfortunately, there are supply problems, and Tatooine is a long flight -"

"What if I can get it by other means?" Han asked the droid.

The droid contemplated that. "We will, of course, have to make sure that purity is not compromised. And, we would appreciate that you not name your source. It is illegal for us to use black market medicines and materials, and the less we know, the better."

"But you would use it."

"Of course, assuming there's been no contamination. I'm not sure why there's such a problem with the supply chain; Thyferra is producing raw strains at nearly full levels -"

"I've got a theory about that, but we'll save it for another time."

"I will call you when Mrs. Solo is out of the bacta tank."

The droid sped off, leaving Han in the waiting area alone.

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Han tried to raise Nici again, but no response. He lurked on the smugglers' blogs and tried to read his favorite comics. Time dragged on endlessly. He didn't even realize he'd dozed off until a crisp female voice called to him.

"Captain Solo?" It was Mon Mothma.

"She's not out of the bacta tank," Han said, his voice rough from lack of sleep for over forty-eight hours.

"I know that her condition is critical. I came to ask what I can do for you and your family."

Han blinked his eyes. "Can you watch the kids and give Chewie a break?"

"Done. Is there anything else?"

"Send Chewie over here. And one other thing."

"Yes?"

"Can you get rid of the holorazzi out front of here and at our home?"

Mon Mothma gave the ghost of a mischievous smile. "Now that's something I've wanted to do for a long, long time."

"Thanks. Really appreciate it."

"Oh, I plan to have great fun doing it."

Maybe she's human after all, Han thought for a moment, but was interrupted.

"Captain Solo?" A nursing droid said quietly.

Han nearly jumped to the ceiling.

"Your wife is asking for you."


	5. Chapter 5

NOT WITHOUT YOU BY MY SIDE

Chapter 5

Luke and Lando had found a secondhand store that sold clothes that both were sure had been fashion mistakes for the original buyers. But they accomplished the task of making them look sleazy and a bit dangerous. Both wore hats, which were atrocities unto themselves, Lando had shaved off his mustache, and they began to make their way to the monorails that would take them to the lifts.

"Well? Do we look scuzzy enough?" Luke asked Lando.

"I don't even wanna think about who wore these," Lando shuddered. Lando was mildly germophobic, and the idea of wearing something that had been previously owned bothered him. "You hear anything from Han about who we're meeting?"

"Not yet." Luke said quietly as they entered a lift. "If he doesn't come up with someone, or something, I don't think my sister's going to live." Luke was trying to give the impression he was calm, but his nervousness was palpable to Lando, and Luke felt as if he was fooling no one. He had no experience at things that came easily to Han and Lando and this wasn't something they could afford to screw up.

"Don't think that way. There's always a way," Lando said, clapping Luke lightly on the shoulder.

"I hope so." Lando hated the lifts; they were very fast and he always felt as if his stomach was going to move up into his throat. Lando liked to travel first class; taking the lifts, especially going to where the good life was largely inaccessible, was not something he relished. He was usually all right when flying, but there'd been times when the vertigo had made him somewhat less than heroic.

Luke was also not a fan of Coruscant but for different reasons. Anything that had been natural and good had long been displaced by the artificial. Yavin had forests, meadows, and flora that grew naturally. And visiting the lower levels was not an operation he cherished, but the life of his twin was at stake. That only intensified his nervousness.

As they changed lifts, the aroma was less pleasing the further down they went.

Lando looked at Luke's footwear and compared it to his. Lando found a pair of shiny boots that were his size but were flimsy. Luke's were spacers; they were grey and ugly, but it occurred to Lando that perhaps Luke had taken Han's admonition regarding ankle deep slurry seriously. Lando thought Han had been exaggerating, but by level two hundred the stench was well beyond foul.

"When we're done with these, I suggest we burn 'em," Lando whispered to Luke.

"You don't have to ask me twice," Luke responded softly. He was trying to control the tension he was experiencing. The odor was not helping.

They needed to change to another lift at level ninety-five and take the express down to level seventy-five, then fifty, then twenty-five. They'd walk the rest of the way.

Before they stepped on to the express lift, Luke felt his comm vibrate. He nodded silently at Lando. "We've got a contact," Luke said.

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"Captain Solo?"

Han had dozed off and was jolted awake by the sweet voice.

"My wife," he managed, his brain moving very slowly.

"She's out of the bacta tank and is asking for you."

Han rose and passed the droid in his hurry to see Leia.

Leia remained in intensive care. She seemed to have tubes coming out of everywhere. Her face had an unhealthy flush, her hair matted from the bacta. Her lips were dry.

"Han," she rasped.

Han grabbed her purse and after some scrounging, found her lip balm.

"Thank you, honey," she whispered to him.

"How're you feeling?" Han could see the readouts. He'd seen enough of them to realize that they were not good.

"I've been better," she said to Han, her eyes weary but pleading. "They said they're trying to get me a new strain of bacta, but..."

"Everyone's working hard on it, sweetheart," Han said quietly to her. "Don't worry."

"Han...we need to talk."

"Talking isn't what you need to do right now," Han admonished her. He'd dampened a cloth and put it on her forehead.

"Han...what if I don't make it?" Han saw the tears rising in her eyes.

"You are going to make it," Han declared stubbornly.

"We need to plan for the kids -"

"Sweetheart, I kid you not when I say that you'll be well soon."

"Not unless they can get the right medicine."

"That's being worked on."

"I know that. But it's possible that it'll be too late. You need to face that, Han."

"I'm not facing anything like that. You'll be home soon and the kids and I'll be driving you insane in no time."

Leia narrowed her eyes. "It's going to take a few days before the doses I need can be shipped."

"It's not going to be that long," Han was adamant.

Leia studied him blearily. "Please tell me you're not doing anything illegal."

"The only thing that's illegal is that the Hutts are controlling the supplies," Han snapped. He recoiled immediately at the sound of his voice; Leia didn't deserve that. "I'm sorry, sweetheart."

"I know, honey." Leia was quickly losing strength. Han took her hand in his.

"You should get some sleep."

"I'll sleep later."

"How're the kids? I miss them so much."

"Believe it or not, we have a relief child minder. Mon Mothma."

Leia's face registered shock. "Mon Mothma is watching our kids?"

"Chewie needs a break. She asked if she could do anything. I told her to watch the kids. And to chase off the media ghouls. I swear that that's the first time I've ever seen her smile."

Leia gave a smile at that one. "She lost her only child to the war."

Han nodded. "I didn't know that."

"She keeps it to herself. Her husband was murdered by the Empire for being a spy even before the war."

"Yeah, well, a lot of us have pasts. But you and me, we have a future."

"I want to believe that, honey. I really do," Leia said wearily. "So if you're not out obtaining...this...who is?"

"Lando and Luke," Han told her.

"You what? You sent them...on...?!" Leia's voice was thin and raspy, but she was not pleased.

"They'll be fine." Han wasn't completely sure himself, but he was damned if he was going to let any of his anxieties filter to Leia. "They're meeting up somewhere discreet, and I've got assurances that the transaction's going to take place." Han knew they were going to meet up; it was with Gree, one of the few smugglers in Han's old circle that still preferred illegal transactions - they paid so much better.

"The less I know, the better," Leia decided. "I miss our kids so much."

"We could comm 'em."

"No. I don't want them seeing me like this," Leia decided. "Not with tubes and wires coming out of me, not to mention no makeup."

"Sweetheart, you don't need makeup."

"Today I do. And I know without looking that I'm having one of the worst hair days ever."

Han had to laugh. Leia was desperately ill, but she could still joke about her appearance. It was just one of the many things that made Han love her.

"Go home and get some sleep, Flyboy," Leia urged him. "Please."

There was a droid that entered Leia's cubicle. "Excuse me, Captain Solo?"

"Yeah?" Please don't tell me you want to talk to me privately, he begged silently.

"There's a...the Wookiee Chewbacca is here to see you."

"Bring Chewie back here," Leia ordered her husband.

"Why? He'll get fur on everything! This isn't the _Falcon _or our apartment!"

"I need to speak with him," Leia insisted, even though it was clear that their short visit had been tiring for her.

Han shrugged. "Let me get him." He wasn't sure what Leia wanted to discuss with Chewie, but he was willing to do anything that would help her.

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Leia appeared as if she'd fallen asleep, but she opened her eyes when she heard Chewie's soft bark.

"Chewie, make him go home and sleep. And while you're at it, make him take a shower. And, I like my smugglers clean shaven."

{I'll stay with her}, Chewie promised.

"They won't let you stay in here, pal," Han told him. "You'll be relegated to the galaxy's most uncomfortable sofa."

{You should do what she says}, Chewie told him firmly.

"Right. Okay." He leaned over and gave Leia a sweet kiss. "I'll be back. You're going to get well. I promise. I'm not going to do anything without you by my side. I love you."

Leia gave him a smile. "I know."

As Han left, he prayed to what or whomever that he hadn't let his mouth write a credit that his ass couldn't cash.


	6. Chapter 6

NOT WITHOUT YOU BY MY SIDE

Chapter 6

"Daddy daddy daddy!" Han entered the apartment and was greeted by three shrieking children. He hugged each of them and kissed them, holding them close even though they couldn't stop squirming.

"Is Mommy still sick?" Jacen asked, his eyes wide.

"I want her to come home," Jaina stated. "When's she gonna be better?"

"I miss her," Anakin said sadly.

"Mommy's still sick and needs to rest. But we're doing everything we can to make her better. It's just gonna take a little more time." Han hoped he wasn't lying to them.

Mon Mothma smiled from the sofa. "They've been very well behaved," she said, her face serene. "And they've been wonderful company. Kids, your dad has been awake for a very long time." Mon Mothma was kind enough not to mention his appearance which, for once, Han had to admit was pretty scruffy. He was certain that he smelled a lot like a nerfherder, or worse.

"Can you read us 'The Little Lost Bantha Cub? Pleeeeeeeeeeeease?" Anakin pleaded.

"Tell you what. Let me get in the shower so I don't smell like a giant bantha and then I'll read to you."

"Would you like something to eat?" Mon Mothma asked. "Threepio made a delicious dinner for us before taking his leave for a few hours."

Han was so bleary eyed that he'd barely noticed Threepio's absence.

"Maybe later. Thanks for taking care of these guys," Han told her sincerely.

"It's been a long time since I was around small children. It's a pleasure." Her smile was wistful.

Han could feel his comm vibrate. "I'll be out shortly."

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Fifteen minutes had passed. There was no sound of water, no hum of the sonic shower, and no singing from the fresher; the kids had let Mon Mothma in on that secret.

"Daddy was s'posed to read 'The Little Lost Bantha Cub' to us," Anakin said sadly.

Mon Mothma had seen plenty of males in various states of dress and undress, but not in someone's private home.

"Jacen, dear one, can you check on your daddy?" Mon Mothma asked him.

"Okay. But he promised!" Jacen said, clearly disappointed. As instructed, he opened the door to his parents' bedroom. Mon Mothma could detect the sound of snoring coming from the room. She crept over with Jaina and Anakin and observed that Han was sprawled out on the bed, fully dressed, and sound asleep. Mon Mothma smiled at the kids. "I think it's best we let your daddy sleep."

"Can we kiss him goodnight?" Jaina pleaded.

Mon Mothma smiled. "Of course."

Mon Mothma had a well-deserved reputation for being tough and at times cold, but anyone who could see her with the children would have to seriously re-think their opinion.

"Do banthas smell like Daddy?" Jaina asked, wrinkling her nose.

"Oh, much worse," Mon Mothma said gently. Well, she said to herself, maybe not that much worse. She gently closed the door.

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"Gods, this place is a dive," Luke commented as they approached the Glow Spider. It had been bad enough walking through an area that was densely populated with, to put it mildly, an abundance of questionable looking characters of every sort of species. Fortunately, none of them seemed remotely interested in him or Lando. "I hope it smells better inside."

"Believe it or not, Nici's got a medical clinic in back," Lando told him.

"Yeah, right." It was true, but Lando wasn't going to waste time arguing the merits of the place. Truth be told, Lando wasn't feeling all that good about what they were about to do. He was putting up a lot of credits of his own for this, along with some anonymous contributions from Han's old smuggling buddies, and some of Han and Leia's savings. Luke and Lando both hoped it'd be enough.

The two entered the taverna. It was well populated with sleazy characters who weren't interested in them. At least not yet.

The bartender, presumably Nici, asked for their drinks. Han had instructed them what to order and had told Nici that they'd be ordering that.

"I can't believe I have to order a girly drink," Luke whispered to Lando.

"I don't care. I'm not drinking anything in this place. Gods know when the glasses were last washed."

"I've got a bad feeling about this," Luke said as they approached the bar.

"Shut up." It was the last thing Lando wanted to hear, mostly because he, too, had a bad feeling about it. They approached the bar and placed their drink orders.

Nici glowered at the order. "You'll get ale and like it. Go sit at the second table from the back."

Both let out a breath. Nici had come through; Han had alerted them that that was what Nici would tell them.

"At least it's in bottles. No way was I gonna drink from a glass in this hellhole," Lando muttered.

"I'm going to comm Han," Luke said, very quietly. The bar was not overly loud; the patrons seemed to be getting drunk, but thus far, no violence was in the offing. The occupants looked unsavory, but so long as they left the two of them alone, they might get through this unscathed.

Luke tried to sip his ale. It was claimed that it was Cadezian. Luke didn't know his ales the way his brother in law did, but he was pretty sure Han would have turned up his nose at it. Lando wasn't even trying to pretend.

"Lando, we're supposed to look like customers," Luke reminded him.

"I'm a visitor, not a client," Lando hissed. His nose detected the smell of cheap ale, including some that had made a round trip. Luke's tension was more closely related to the possibility of losing Leia, although he would never have recommended the Glow Spider to anyone unfortunate enough to visit the lowest levels. "Any response from Han?"

Luke shook his head despondently.

"Maybe he finally crashed out. He looked like hells," Lando said.

"How would you look if you thought your wife might die?" Luke shot back.

Lando shook his head. "Leia's the best thing that ever happened to Han. And he knows it."

"I know. It'd kill him to lose her. He'd care for the kids, but he'd die inside," Luke said.

"I just hope we're not waiting all night for this Gree clown," Lando muttered.

"I'm with that," Luke agreed, sipping the cheap, sour ale.

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Luke ordered another round of ales, hoping to be more convincing. He felt conspicuous, as if they were trying too hard.

"Hope this Gree shows his sorry ass up," Lando muttered as the server left them. "I'm gonna need to shower for an entire week after this."

"Will you stop whining about that?" Luke hissed. Lando was something of a dandy, a subspecies for which Luke had little patience.

A few moments later, a huge burly sentient that the two presumed was the bouncer walked over to their table.

"Go around the back and wait," he ordered, his voice a deep snarl. Luke and Lando rose reluctantly.

Nici called from the bar, "We don't want troublemakers in here!"

Great, thought Luke. We've been made.

He looked at Lando, who seemed to be thinking the same thing.

They weren't sure exactly how it could happen, but there were, regrettably, endless possibilities for things to deteriorate.

The back of the bar was on a small, poorly maintained causeway, the smell of excrement of a thousand species destroying the air.

"Think it's CorSec?" Lando asked Luke.

"How the hells should I know? I don't live here!"

The back door was a heavy plastimetal that both knew to be bulletproof They didn't know whether to feel better or worse about that.

Nici stuck his head out. "C'mon in, guys."

Reluctantly, they edged forward into the building.

To their surprise, the back of the building was clean, pleasantly furnished, and had several medical droids and a small treatment area.

"Sorry if Drek scared you. That's his job," Nici said to them. "Hang on, Gree's here."

The individual staggered into the room. Han said to expect him to be drunk. Gree didn't have a little drinking problem. He had a huge one and preferred it that way.

"Good seeing you guys again," Gree slurred.

Lando looked puzzled. Gree was surprised. "Don't you remember? I was one of your wingmen in the Battle of Endor."

"I don't seem to remember you being quite as drunk as you are now," Lando admitted.

"That's because I wasn't. But after it was over, I honestly don't remember much for at least the first week."

Luke was not liking this. "The bacta. Do you have it?" he demanded.

"I do, I do. Just wanted to say hi to Solo's friends."

"We need to get moving. Leia needs this if she's going to live," Luke snapped irritably.

"Oh, it's for the Princess?" Gree looked at them. "Well, that's different."

"Who'd you think it was for?" Lando asked him.

Gree grinned at them. "You think I pay attention to the news?"

Nici said, "You don't pay attention to anything unless it's credits or crummy ale," to Gree. "Yeah, it's for the Princess."

"I told Solo I wanted double. I had to get it past the Hutt guards," Gree explained.

"We know. Here's our figure," Lando informed him.

Gree glowered. "That's not twice my usual fee."

"It is now," Luke said.

Gree sighed. "Well, okay, but if I find out you tricked me about the Princess, I'm coming after ya."

Nici rolled his eyes. "Time to sleep it off, Gree."

"Don' you guys want a ride up to the upper crust?" Gree said, his eyes half closed.

"Thanks, but no. It's easier to take the lifts." Luke scowled at Gree. "We appreciate this, but if it's not what you said you'd get, we'll be coming after YOU and then you can worry about the Hutts."

"Better get moving." Nici hustled them out after giving them some wrapping for the culture vials. They would resist any type of radiation that way. "You really are better off taking the lifts."

"Is he always this drunk?" Luke asked.

"Oh my, no. He's usually even worse. Now go!"


	7. Chapter 7

NOT WITHOUT YOU BY MY SIDE

Chapter 7

"I'm sorry, but who are you?" the nursing droid manning the desk of the infectious diseases asked, baffled by the two men in front of her that looked and smelled as if they'd been pulled from the gutter on the lower levels, which was, in fact, correct."

Luke pulled the beanie from his head. "I'm Luke Skywalker, and I'm here to rescue my sister." He pulled the vials from the pocket of the shirt that he had all intentions of destroying.

"This is supposed to be?"

"Bacta. Very strong bacta," Luke said firmly. "Leia Organa Solo is my sister."

"Where did you...never mind, I do not want to know. You do realize that this will have to be tested for purity -"

"Then do it fast!" Lando snapped at the droid. "The Minister's in critical condition!"

"I understand, but the biochemistry must be run."

"Then get busy!" Luke snapped.

At that moment, the giant, furry Chewbacca came out from the waiting area and barked softly.

{You guys look like merde}, Chewie informed them.

"Thanks, Chewie, we love you, too," Lando said irritably. "Where's Han?"

{I made him go home to sleep. So did the Princess}.

"Good," Luke said. "How's Leia?"

{Not good. Did you bring the medicine?}.

"Yeah, they say it's gotta go through biochemistry," Luke grumbled.

"Where's the lab?" Lando demanded.

"It is not protocol for a non staff member -"

An alarm was set off.

"Minister Organa Solo has a fever spike."

"How much is it gonna cost me to get this expedited?" Luke demanded loudly.

"I will do it immediately," the desk droid said, scurrying away from them.

Luke and Lando looked at Chewie.

"We'd better call Han," Luke said at last. The others nodded in agreement. "Chewie, you want to do the honors or should I?"

{You're her brother}.

I just hope we're not too late, Luke thought unhappily.

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Han dreamed his comm had gone off. After what had to be a dozen rings, he groggily grabbed it.

"Yeah?" he mumbled, clearly unhappy.

"Han, Leia's fever spiked again," Luke said frantically.

"Did you get the kriffing bacta?" Han demanded.

"Yeah, it's gone to biochemistry -"

"I'm leaving right now." Han cut off the comm.

The three looked at each other.

{I guess this means we wait}, Chewie said mournfully.

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Han burst into the medicenter. "I need to see my wife!" he shouted at the med droid, who'd returned to the desk.

Luke, Lando and Chewie heard him and looked at one another.

"I am not going to wait!" Han was not about to be placated.

{Excuse me. I don't want Han ripping the droid's arms out of its sockets}, Chewie said as he rose.

The medicenter's intercom crackled to life. "Code orange," it called out repeatedly. There was a bustle of droids and humans headed for the infectious diseases unit.

Lando and Luke stared at each other.

"I hope it's not Leia," Lando said quietly.

Luke closed his eyes. "It is."

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Chewie dragged Han into the waiting area, as he continued to shout at anyone that passed by that he wanted to see his wife and where was the damn bacta.

"I'm supposed to sit here and wait while my wife is dying?" Han yelled at his oldest and furriest friend. It was not lost on his friends and brother in law that Han hadn't changed out of the clothes he'd last been wearing yesterday. His face hadn't seen a razor in days and he was starting to give off the impression that he was somewhat ripe. His eyes were redder than a drunk's and were wild with fear and panic.

"They're testing the bacta right now," Luke said soothingly.

"They better test a lot faster!" Han snapped. "Leia's dying!"

"You don't know that," Luke said, deliberately keeping his voice soft.

"Well, do you?!" Han stormed at the Jedi.

They were interrupted by a droid standing near the doorway. What with Lando and Luke dressed like the great unwashed, a large Wookiee and a half crazed Han, the droid attempted as much propriety as was possible.

"I'm looking for Captain Solo," the droid announced.

"I'm him," Han said angrily. "Whaddya want?"

"Sir, we have tested the bacta that was...received earlier. Normally, we'd like to run some more tests for complete purity, but it does appear that the strain...provided was extremely potent. In fact, due to the Minister's small size, we will have to titrate doses carefully."

"How long till she gets the first dose?" Han asked anxiously.

"They are stabilizing her right now."

"What happened?" Han asked. "Tell me!"

"I will have her team come to discuss that with you. In the meantime, I must prepare the bacta for her." The droid slid away.

Han went limp. He appeared as lifeless, glazed eyes staring at the three others with him.

"I'm sorry I woke you up," Luke told him. "I just wanted you to know that we got the bacta, but I should have let you sleep."

"Would you have called if Leia had coded and I wasn't here?" Han demanded, his tone drained.

Luke waited for two beats. "I'd have waited to see if they'd been able to stabilize her."

Han was nearly ready to slug his brother in law but was restrained by Chewie. {I can't take you anywhere}, Chewie grumbled, and the three men actually laughed.

"Leia always did say I have a way with people," Han said wryly. "Luke, Lando, thanks. I owe both of you one. But I gotta go this mile alone."

"You sure?" Luke asked.

"Yeah. I appreciate what you guys did. But right now, I need to be by myself."

"You comm us if you need us," Lando told him. "Where're we staying, anyway?"

"Mara and I have a small apartment not far from here. Chewie, you're going back to the kids?"

{Of course}.

"There's one thing we gotta do when we get to your place," Lando told Luke.

"And that is?"

"Burn these clothes."

"Good thing I've got a fireplace. Otherwise we'd be out of luck," Luke said, but his reluctance to leave was noticeable, especially to Han.

"Luke, the minute I know anything, I'll comm you," Han assured him.

"You sure you're gonna be all right here alone?" Lando repeated.

"I don't know about all right, but I need to do this alone. Please."

"We'll be standing by," Luke said as the three passed through the door.

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Han couldn't recall another moment when waiting had felt so long. Not even in carbonite had things seemed so bleak.

It seemed as if an eternity had passed when a droid called him from the doorway. "Captain Solo?"

Han stared at him with bleary eyes. "Yeah?"

"We've stabilized Minister Solo and are just about to put her into the bacta tank. When she came to, she asked for you. Would you like to see her?"

"Please."

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Han might have been dead on his feet, but one wouldn't have known it from the way he raced to see Leia. He nearly ran over Leia's human medic, who gently took his arm and said, "Let's talk for a moment."

Han was in no mood to talk, but the medic didn't seem to care. "She suffered a seizure from the high fever. We've been able to stabilize her, and we're going to try the stronger bacta. I'm cautiously optimistic."

"Then what?"

"As long as she is free of fever for forty-eight hours, she'll be able to go home. For the most part, we've managed to keep her fever down to where it's still too high, but she became increasingly septic. We're about to put her in the tank, so go see her quickly."

Han's heart was in his throat. It seemed as if everything he did, he was doing it wrong. He'd promised the kids that he'd read them a story. He'd had all intentions of taking a shower. Instead, he was here at the hospital, looking a lot more like some of the drunks Luke and Lando had encountered in their travels down below.

Leia was lying there, tubing and electrodes pasted all over her body, parched and feverish, her eyes closed.

"Leia," Han said, leaning over to kiss her. She blinked back at him, trying to smile.

"I'm glad you're here," she whispered to him.

"We got the bacta," Han said softly.

"I know. Thank you."

"You really need to thank Luke and Lando. They did the real work."

"I'm scared," Leia told him, his face close to hers. "What if it doesn't work?"

"Don't think that way, sweetheart. It will." It took Han back to the Battle of Endor. Traveling with Luke, Leia and Chewie, they had a code that had been uncovered at a very high cost, and Han had assured everyone that would work, then confiding in Chewie that he didn't think it'd work, and then being allowed to land, and let his breath out. This situation was somewhat parallel but the stakes were much higher. "You'll be fine and you'll see the kids very soon." He stroked her fevered face, its unhealthy flush not interfering with her beauty.

She moved her lips to speak, but her energy was so incredibly low that she couldn't put speech to them.

"It's time," the nursing droid said, preparing to transport Leia to the bacta tank area.

"I want to stay with her," Han said to the droid.

The droid did not immediately respond. "It is highly irregular," the droid remarked.

"But is it allowed?"

The droid paused again. "I supposed there is no rule about it."

Leia opened her eyes and whispered, "Thank you, love."

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The chairs in the bacta lab were even less comfortable than the ones in the waiting area. Han suspected that very few family members chose to be present when one could barely see a loved one floating in the red, thick liquid. Depending upon the patient's condition, it could be a short stay or a long one. Han was a betting man, and he was betting on a long stay. He clutched his datapad, but did not open the screen. His attention was focused on the small woman in a thin smock being set up with the respirator in preparation to insert her into the bacta tank.

She'd never looked as small as she did now, he observed. In this moment, he would have traded his life for hers.

Minutes were more like hours as time crept slowly by. After two hours, there'd been no improvement.

I was too late, he said to himself.

Time seemed to stand still. Three hours...her fever had not declined.

Maybe I should call the kids, he thought, but couldn't think of what to say to them.

He considered calling Mon Mothma and Chewie and Luke, but decided against it. Leia was a fighter. He could still feel the fight in her; she probably wouldn't have survived this long if she wasn't.

"Leia," he whispered, "I can't do this. Not without you by my side."

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	8. Chapter 8

NOT WITHOUT YOU BY MY SIDE

Chapter 8

"I have to say I'm getting worried," Mon Mothma confided to Luke. "We've heard nothing."

"I'm sure Han will let us know soon," Luke said, trying to hide his emotions. He could feel Leia struggling. She was a fighter, and he was hoping with all his might that she would emerge victorious, but whether or not she would was not yet written.

Mon Mothma looked into Luke's clear blue eyes. "Luke, if she doesn't survive, I don't know what Han and the children will do. And honestly, I don't know what I'm going to do, either. She's almost like a daughter to me."

"It's too early for that," Luke said, trying to demonstrate some confidence. He was tempted to add a sarcastic tag line after Mon Mothma's last statement but wisely held his tongue in check. "When I was suffering from hypothermia, I was in the tank for nearly fourteen hours. And if it hadn't been for my crazy Corellian brother-in-law, I'd have been dead before morning."

"I do admire his courage, if not always his attitude," she conceded. "And while I had misgivings about your sister marrying him, well, let's just say I don't think anyone would love her more. I knew her adoptive father. We were friends. And while Bail Organa might have been shocked at her choice, I believe that he would have come around to the man."

Luke's comm went off. It was Han. "You must've heard us talking about you," Luke said cheekily.

"Yeah, well, find a more interesting subject."

Han looked ragged and unkempt; Luke had seen the Rogues look better after some heavy partying, but there was a smile on his face.

"How's Leia?" Luke asked her.

"Her temperature's down to 38.1," Han said, his voice optimistic despite its exhaustion. "She's got a ways to go, but her temp keeps dropping and her vitals look a lot better."

"How long's she been in the tank?" Luke asked.

"Not quite four hours. They're gonna keep her in till she's at 37. Then she goes back to her cubicle and as long as she's good for 48 hours, she can go home."

"How about I come over and you can go home so you can -"

"Be fit to live amongst humans?" Han chuckled.

Luke grinned. "You said it, I didn't. Of course, if you're going to be fit to live with humans, you'll have to do more than get washed up."

"I saved your ass several times and this is what I get?" Han told him, but he was smiling.

"You're lucky I don't give you worse," Luke said, feeling significantly lighter of heart. It felt good to laugh again, to joke with each other. "Hold on, Mon Mothma wants to talk to you."

Mon Mothma appeared in the screen. "This is excellent news, Captain."

"We're not out of the woods yet, but it's looking a lot better."

"Of course. Are you coming home soon?"

"I'm staying here for now," Han told her. "But I promise I'll clean up my act once her fever's down all the way."

Mon Mothma's expression turned serious. "Perhaps I was wrong about you, Captain."

Han wasn't sure how to respond to that. He knew he'd been badmouthed aplenty by the Chief of State.

"You really are a devoted husband and father."

"Uh...thank you?"

"And your children would very much like to speak with you. Jaina! Jacen! Anakin!"

The three came racing and shrieking, all vying to be seen on the small comm screen. While the children might have been upset at their father's failure to read to them the previous night, it wasn't obvious.

"I want Mommy to come home," Jaina said, her voice more irritated than sad.

"Well, that's gonna happen soon," Han told them. "She's starting to feel a lot better, but she needs to rest a little more."

"I miss her!" Anakin wailed.

"She misses you, too," Han assured him. "She misses all of you." There was no question about that. "And we're gonna try to get her home as soon as we can."

"She misses us, doesn't she?" Jacen said.

"More than anything." No lie there, Han knew.

"Daddy, how come your face is all furry? You look like Uncle Chewie!" Jaina apparently found this amusing.

"Uncle Chewie would not be happy to hear that," Han said to his daughter. He looked over towards the bacta tank, which was letting off a soft chime. "I've gotta run, you guys. I love you so much." He hastily cut the comm off and headed over to where the med droid at Leia's tank. "Is something wrong?" Please, don't let anything be wrong, he pleaded silently.

The droid looked up at him. "Nothing wrong at all, sir. The chime has indicated that her body temperature is 37 degrees."

Han couldn't believe it. He blinked and stared at the monitors. Normal!

"She's going to be okay, isn't she?" he asked the droid, trying to make sure he'd heard and seen correctly.

"Minister Organa Solo's vital signs are all within normal range," he was reassured.

Han gazed at her figure floating in the deep red goo. "When will she be out of the tank?"

"We want to make sure she is stable, so she will remain for ninety to one hundred twenty minutes. Oh, and...I know this is presumptuous of me, but I... with all due respect, sir, your personal hygiene...may have suffered somewhat. Perhaps this would be a good time to...attend to such matters. I mean no offense, Captain."

"None taken," Han assured the droid.

"Since her fever has broken, she will be very tired, and will require much rest. It may be that she will not remember some of the events of recent days past. And again, pardon my saying so, but you appear to be intensely fatigued."

"Okay, okay, I get it. I'll be back in a little while. I wanna be there when she wakes up."

As Han made his way to his speeder, he realized how very, very tired he was.

And how grateful.

Sleep could wait. A shower was another story.

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Han was greeted by the swarm of children, as well as by a smiling Mon Mothma, a cheerful Luke, and Chewbacca. No one felt more relief than he did in that moment.

{You smell like a bantha}, Chewie greeted him.

"Thanks, pal," Han said archly to him. "Sometimes you don't smell so great yourself!" The entire company burst into laughter. Of course, Chewie was correct; it had been nearly a standard week since he'd seen a shower and his clothes felt as if they were plastered on him.

Han hugged the kids to where Anakin complained that he was being squeezed.

"Are you gonna play with us?" Anakin asked.

Han hated to turn the eager little boy down, but explained, "Mommy is getting much better, but I need a little time with her. Then I'll come home and we'll hang out." Assuming I can keep my eyes open, he reminded himself, feeling that the rush of caffeine and adrenaline might give out at any moment.

"Let's see how she does today." Han knew that nothing would delight Leia more than seeing the kids, but he felt that the kids would keep her from resting, which she desperately needed. "I'm gonna take a shower and go back."

"Don't fall asleep on the bed again!" Jaina said teasingly, happy to hear the news of her mother.

"If you're not out in half an hour, I'm going on a reconnaissance mission to find you," Luke warned.

{I'm not going anywhere near you till you smell decent again}, Chewie said, and the kids laughed. Even Mon Mothma cracked a smile.

"Always going dainty on me, you big hairy lug," Han said, as he closed the bedroom door behind him. And locked it.

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Once in the shower, Han felt the grime and stress of the past week falling off of him. It was if he'd been in battle nonstop, and now the shakes set in as his adrenaline levels shot down.

He wished Leia was there with him, but once she felt better, he was going to get her into the shower and they'd take it from there. The medic attendants would wipe off all the bacta, but the odor and taste lingered for a long while. He reminded himself to pack her favorite shampoo, shower gel and lotion. All were ladalum scented, and that fragrance would forever be associated with her. They had several plants on the balcony at home; when Leia was away, he'd go outdoors and breathe in the sweetness of the flowers.

Water and relief flowed over him, and the strain he'd been under finally dissolved into tears.

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Leia opened her eyes. She was disoriented; she knew that she was in a medicenter, but it was unclear to her what had happened. She remembered being brought there, but there was a haziness about it. It was clear she'd been in bacta; the hideous taste and smell seemed to permeate every cell of her body.

How long had she been here, she asked herself. She remembered feeling hot for what seemed like an eternity. Her muscles ached a bit, but they weren't going off in spasms, as they seemed to have done for a while. Aside from being sticky, she was much more comfortable than she'd last remembered being.

She glanced around to see if her comm was anywhere close by. She was still tubed and wired, limiting her mobility. Leia decided that she would ask them to be removed when the nursing droids came around. Her monitor stated that her temperature was normal and that everything else looked fine. She was simply weary and a bit muzzy.

There was a knock at the door. "You decent?" a familiar voice called out.

"Han!" Leia's heart leapt. He strolled in, looking as she remembered him, from the first time she saw him to the last, clad in his bloodstripes, a cream colored shirt, a black vest and his spacer boots. He was standing there for a moment, looking slightly cocky. The familiar slightly mussed hair and lopsided smile made her feel like she did the first time they kissed.

He leaned over her and kissed her softly. "Sweetheart," he murmured softly as he kissed her again. She wrapped her arms around his neck and they held the kiss for several moments.

"How're you feeling, honey?" Han asked her when the kiss stopped.

"Tired," Leia said, but she smiled tenderly at him. "And sort of fuzzy about things."

"Well, it's been a long week," Han told her.

Leia's eyes flew all the way open. "I've been here a week?" She wasn't able to wrap her mind around it.

"Not surprised you're having trouble remembering it all," Han said, recalling, with a slight shiver, his time in carbonite.

"They must have been able to get the bacta," Leia said. "For which I'm very grateful."

Han simply nodded. He had forced Luke and Lando to never reveal how the bacta had been obtained.

"You're looking a lot better, sweetheart," Han assured her, his large hand over her tiny one.

"I don't remember very much," she said, a bit troubled.

"You had a seizure. It's not surprising you don't remember it."

"How're the kids? I feel as if I haven't seen them in forever."

"They're hanging in. Much as it pains me to say it, Mon Mothma is really good with kids. And she's not a pushover like Chewie."

Leia looked puzzled. "How did you ever convince her to do that?"

"She came by, asked if she could do anything, and I said, yeah, watch the kids. So she did. She has to go back to work tomorrow, so it'll be back to Chewie letting 'em stay up late and eat too many sweets."

"Maybe by then they'll let me out," Leia said.

"They told me forty-eight hours with no fever and then you can leave," Han reiterated to her.

"How long's it been?"

"About seven hours."

"Aargh." Leia seemed more than a little annoyed. "What I really want is a long, hot, water shower. I feel gross."

"Bacta has that effect," Han remarked. "But you still look gorgeous to me."

"Liar. But I'll take it."

Within moments, she was asleep.


	9. Chapter 9

NOT WITHOUT YOU BY MY SIDE

Chapter 9

The night nursing droids checked in on the patients in their care.

The one that checked in on Minister Leia Organa Solo would not have been surprised to see her charge sound asleep, but that her bed was also occupied by a tall man who was also fast asleep.

The minister's vitals were all within normal limits, and while co-ed sleepovers were not regular, she was not about to interrupt them. It looked as if both of them could use it.

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Leia managed to have no more fever spikes in forty-eight hours and was released. The night before, they'd taken out her IV lines and she was able to take a water shower. She was surprised at how weak she'd felt but Han had joined her. The shower in the medicenter was small, about the size of the one on the _Falcon, _but Leia had never appreciated one more. Han had washed the bacta off of her skin and out of her hair. She'd slept very well.

What was most amazing, however, was the lack of holorazzi. A few diehards were present, but Han glared at them and cursed them in several languages. Leia was trying not to laugh.

"I don't know what Mon Mothma did, but it sure as hells worked," Han commented with a smile. "In addition to offering to take care of the kids, she said she'd chase off the media psychos."

Leia smiled at him. "I have a feeling she enjoyed this."

"Way too much, probably. Ready to go home?"

"You know it, Flyboy."

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The apartment was decorated with flimsies featuring 'Welcome Home Mommy!' and flowers, animals, and hearts. Leia was nearly mowed down by her three very happy and enthusiastic children, all so relieved to see their mother.

"Okay, guys, Mommy's still tired, so let's go easy on her," Han urged Jaina, Jacen, and Anakin. Chewie had given Leia what was a mild hug by Wookiee standards. The kids led Leia to the sofa and began piling it with blankets and pillows from their rooms, and there were more hugs and kisses between mother and kids than had occurred in recorded history.

"I was scared, Mommy," Anakin said quietly, trying to snuggle in close to his mother. "I was scared you died."

"No, honey, I knew I'd come back to take care of you." Leia had no reason to tell them how close she'd come. She was also grateful that her children were still too young to understand the Force. They were frightened enough without being able to see things they couldn't comprehend.

Jaina brought her mother an asteria water. "So you won't get thirsty," Jaina explained, all five year old earnestness.

Jacen brought his two pittinlings, Krag and Marsune, and placed them on his mother's chest. "They missed you, too," he told her. Leia liked animals; she'd enjoyed pets as a child and pittins had been among them.

"Did you miss us, Mommy?" Jaina asked Leia.

"You have no idea," Leia said to them. "I thought about you the entire time, how much I wanted to get better so I could see you."

The eight bell chime went off. Han pressed the talk button. "Threepio, that'd better be you!" Threepio had been instructed to food shop for the family.

"Sorry, it's us," Luke said, laughing. "Okay if I come up and see my sister for a few?"

Han released the doorways so that they could enter the complex. "Looks like your saviors are here," he told Leia.

"Don't tell them that," Leia ordered him. "Their heads are swollen enough as is." They both laughed. Leia was, of course, grateful for their efforts. It didn't solve the problem of the bacta shortage, but she was going to put that near the top of her agenda once she returned to work.

Naturally, the kids were thrilled to see Luke and Lando, so it took several minutes for them to be released.

Jacen narrowed his eyes and stared at his uncle. "Your head's not all swollened up."

"Huh?" Luke seemed momentarily clueless.

"Mommy said that you were gonna get swollened heads!" Jaina remarked gleefully.

"Oh, thanks a lot," Luke said, leaning over to kiss his twin on the forehead. "See if I stick my neck out for you again." Both twins laughed; the easy banter that largely characterized their relationship was intact.

"You look great," Lando said as he sized up Leia.

"You're lying, but I'll take it where I can get it," Leia kidded him back. "Seriously, both of you, thank you. Lando, when did you shave your mustache off?"

"About five days ago. I don't know. What do you think?"

"Not bad at all," Leia said.

"Hmm. Maybe I better grow it back. Listen, I just wanted to see how you were before I head back to Bespin," Lando said, kissing her hand. "There's places to see and sentients to do."

"Let me guess, there's a sabacc tournament," Leia said archly, stifling a yawn.

"Ah, lady, you know me too well," Lando said. "I'm glad you're better."

"So'm I, but I think I'd better get back home," Luke said. He looked at his sister. "And don't scare me like this again!" Leia laughed, as did he.

The eight bell chime sounded again.

"Threepio! Where're the groceries?" Han demanded.

"I have them with me, Captain."

Threepio was admitted, and to everyone's surprise, a droid who looked very much like him was accompanying him.

"Mistress Leia, Captain Solo, I would like to introduce C4PL." If droids could have blushed, Threepio would have been bright red. "C4PL is a protocol droid, and we met at a...cooking class."

C4PL was equally bashful. "It's nice to meet everyone. I would love to cook a meal for you. I have over six hundred thousand recipes from all over the galaxy at my disposal."

Han nodded. "Have at it."

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The meal prepared by C4PL, who instructed Threepio in ancillary tasks, was nothing short of divine. Dinner was Alderaanian everything, and Leia ate ravenously, which relieved Han. She had lost weight during the past week, and she was small to begin with.

"Mistress Leia, Captain, do you require any more this evening?" Threepio asked them. "I must escort Ceely to her home. She also works for a family with three children."

"No problem. Thank you for the delicious dinner," Leia said, smiling at the pair of droids.

"The pleasure was mine," C4PL said, and they ducked out.

Leia looked up at Han, brow furrowed.

"I wonder what they do when they're together," she murmured.

"I don't even want to go there," Han said. "I'll get these kids bathed and then you can read them 'The Little Lost Bantha Cub' to them."

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Shortly after the children were tucked into bed, Han and Leia retreated to their room. Leia was exhausted, and Han was as well; he hadn't fully realized how much the previous week had taken out of him.

Leia's head was on Han's chest near his heart, her arm draped over his waist, his over her shoulder. He knew he had nearly lost her, and he was bound and determined that it would never happen again. He didn't care what he had to do, and the legality of his actions didn't matter to him.

"I was really scared," Leia said softly.

"You weren't the only one," Han told her, kissing her temple. What he didn't say was that if she had died, his soul would have gone with her.

"You know that we have to do something about the bacta problem," Leia said. "But right now, I'm just happy to be here with what matters most."

Han had many things to say to her, but they could wait.

"I could never have done it," Leia said, raising herself to kiss her husband. "Not without you by my side."


End file.
